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Forum:45-46: Romantic Sunset, Queen's Sacrifice
On attempting to return to Librem to follow up on the letter received from the Queen, the group was ambushed by the Golden Dogs unit of Yahtuh's past on the high seas. Though the man leading the manhunt for Yahtuh was not recognized, he introduced himself as Jakob Eckhart, a past admirer of Yahtuh's who was devastated by the news that he had left. Even more strikingly, the man who trained Yahtuh in the past, Eckhart's father, was apparently struck down by an illness brought on by the shock, and could not be roused from his stupor. Though in a place of emotional turmoil and uncertainty as to his future, Yahtuh trusted the words of his companion Bashir and his new source of divine power, and led a group of Sunset's followers aboard the Golden Dogs' ship in order to pacify the crew and bring closure to the past. Once everyone calmed down, Jakob explained to Yahtuh that the drive to recapture him was spearheaded by not only the old unit, but a priest in Terceira who claimed that Yahtuh was partially responsible for some manner of demon summoning that took place on the night he departed. Jakob also believed there to be some connection between this story and the fact that Yahtuh, while a capable soldier, would have had to have received some outside assistance in order to eliminate so many of the Golden Dogs to make good his escape. Yahtuh was thus encouraged to keep an ear out for information about high-ranking priests in Terceira taking out bounties on him, as whomever was responsible would have had to have acquired some funding and power recently. The Golden Dogs, for their part, would not be turning in such a bounty anymore, especially with Eckhart Sr., rejuvenated after an evening with Sunset, claiming that the Golden Dogs would be disbanding to reform their flagship as a pleasure cruise liner. On arriving in Librem, the party arranged a meeting with Queen Lisandra Severin in order to ascertain her story. However, she treated the meeting with a strange gravity, and on convening in her throne room, revealed that she could not offer an explanation for her actions alone, but that someone else of great importance might be able to instead. The room then transformed into the image of a vast ocean, and the spirit of the dragon god of civilization, Seiryu, announced its presence to the party. As it turns out, Seiryu has been partially responsible for Librem's rise to prominence as a republic, and this is at least partially motivated by a desire to protect humanity as well as the draconic scale contained in Freedom's Light. The scale is apparently partially responsible for guaranteeing the existence of life on Terestrahl, and as such the gods are charged with protecting them throughout the nation. Seiryu also revealed that it now part of a single entity with Queen Severin, and Seiryu's signature art known as Soul Union is responsible, since it allows for a mutually beneficial relationship with a willing ruler, granting them wisdom and authority at the cost of part of their lifespan. The sacrificed ruler is also endowed with portions of a "divine knowledge" that brings them closer to the gods, but this is something that Queen Severin would not be able to explain or pass on to other humans in her lifetime. Seiryu also informs Lin that three elements are necessary to complete the blade required to cut fate: a weapon blessed by the god Baihu, a relic associated with a saint of peace, and a heroic willpower needed to handle such a weapon. To Ozymandias, Seiryu expressed regret at not being able to help Ten Tongues, as Seiryu would be stepping out of line in interfering with Genbu's servants. Artyom was also told that his father's heart now likely resided in a monstrous creature somewhere in Zhou, a flyer known for predatory behaviour, and that an expert hunter's advice may be necessary to retrieve the heart. Also, the soul of Artyom's brother is being held captive by the Lord of Life and Death, the result of some sort of trickery. To Yahtuh, Seiryu also expressed admiration at the work Yahtuh is doing to reconcile with his past and work in harmony with other gods. With a kind word of thanks to the party for respecting the will of the people and behaving in the manner of true heroes, Seiryu thanks the party for their hard work on behalf of Terestrahl and leaves. The Queen was apparently experiencing some pain when separated from Seiryu, so was looked to by the group for healing before they left on their way to Terceira on the next leg of their journey. Before arriving, however, they met by chance with George Ritter, the investigator working with the Librennian Admiralty opposite Librennian Intelligence after the mission in Snezhny. He expressed a genuine desire to learn more about the group and their journey, but did not hesitate to make his feelings on Edith Harper known from time to time. He did offer the group a work proposition, in that he was being sent to Terceira to investigate the murder of a former Librennian soldier working with the local police. On arrival in Terceira, the group was summarily led to the Librennian Ground Forces Military Police Headquarters, currently overseen by Commander Douglass. Though trust was not immediately forthcoming from the beleaguered commander, he offered the group the opportunity to participate in the investigation under Ritter's recommendation and authority, provided the facts they learn over the course of the investigation are kept in strict confidence... Rewards for the last sessions are as follows: +2,000 EXP each for defusal of the situation with the Golden Dogs +25,000 EXP each for listening to the words of Seiryu, God of Civilization